NASA uses high altitude balloons to launch sensitive scientific payloads that observe the universe. These balloons make observations above most of the Earth’s obscuring atmosphere, making research into the full breadth of spectral wavelengths possible. For the 2017 eclipse, a number of balloon borne experiments will observe the sun and the moon’s umbral shadow on the Earth.

Students will conduct high-altitude balloon flights from more than 50 locations across the 2017 total eclipse path, from Oregon to South Carolina, providing live videos and images from near space. Silverton High School is honored to be one of seven high school teams across the nation to participate in this project.